Darkness Falling
by LordAnubis485
Summary: When Buffy and Willow go to Hogwarts after leaving Sunnydale High, not everyone is happy... And as dark forces gather, who can stand against temptation?
1. Chapter 1

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. All Buffy characters and fictional places belong to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon, all Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling.  
  
It was the last week of the holidays and Diagon Alley was packed with people buying their books and other supplies for the new school year. The family known to friends and enemies alike as the Weasley tribe were out doing the same.  
  
Ginny Weasley and her mother, Molly, left Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding bookshop, and wandered down the alley to where they were supposed to meet Mr. Weasley, Ginny's brother Ron, Ron's friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, and the American exchange students that were living with them, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg. Ginny did not like either of them, mainly because they treated her like she didn't know anything which only encouraged Ron, Harry and Hermione to do the same, and because Harry and Buffy were all too clearly going out. This annoyed her, to the extent that she had spent the majority of the holidays in her room, when she wasn't eating or playing Quidditch on one of the twins' old brooms. Ginny was not in the mood to spend the rest of the day with any of them. She therefore told her mother that she was heading back to the Leaky Cauldron and would meet them there for lunch.  
  
Ginny got back to the pub and sat down. It was 12 o'clock. 1 o'clock dropped off the clock. Then 2 o'clock struck, with still no sign of any of the Weasleys or their guests. Ginny was beginning to feel forgotten when she was disturbed from her thought by a voice. "May I sit here please? Every other seat is filled."  
  
The voice in question belonged to an older man, who was dressed in a Muggle suit. As Ginny started to move, having seen that there was nowhere else to sit, the man put his hand on her shoulder forcing her to stay seated. "There's no need for that. You were here before me and you are welcome to stay if you want to. In fact, you are just the person I was looking for. Now then, why don't you stay here with me, miss...?"  
  
He looked at her questioningly. "Weasley. Virginia Weasley. But most people call me Ginny or Gin. And it's very kind of you to ask but I shouldn't stay, I really should go and look for my family."  
  
He chuckled. "A pleasure to meet you, miss Weasley. Why don't you stay and have something to eat with me seeing as you haven't had any lunch? Do most of your family have red hair? Because if so, I think that they have forgotten about you. Especially seeing as they wandered past just as I came in."  
  
Ginny's shoulders slumped. They had forgotten about her again. In that case, she felt rebellious. She was 17 after all. She could look after herself, despite what the rest of her family seemed to think. Besides, he didn't look at all threatening. In fact he rather looked like a Muggle...  
  
"Ok. I'll have lunch with you, but only if you tell me who you are first."  
  
"Splendid. My name when I was alive was Mayor Richard Wilkins III of Sunnydale. What will you have? Don't worry about paying either; I can afford a meal or two, so you can take your hand away from your purse. And please, call me Richard."  
  
And so, they ate together. Or at least, she ate and he watched. At first Ginny talked, mostly about her family but sometimes about school. He interrupted occasionally, asking for details. She didn't know why she was still sitting there, let alone telling him so much about her life. There was something about the man, something that made him easy to talk to, a little like Tom Riddle in her first year (not necessarily a favourable comparison). Then later, he talked about himself and how he had been Mayor of a town called Sunnydale. He had talked about a girl he knew who was as sanctimonious and self-righteous as could be, and expected everyone to live up to her standards, disregarding that not everyone wanted to be a do- gooder like her. Ginny had laughed. "That sounds exactly like Buffy Summers!" she had said.  
  
He had asked, "You know Buffy Summers? She was the girl I was talking about. She was the one who killed me. How do you know her?"  
  
So, Ginny told him about how Buffy and Willow were staying with them, and how much she hated both of them. And how, at Hogwarts, she was going to have so much trouble with them. When he heard that, he had said "Look Virginia, may I call you that? Virginia, if the "golden wonder" or anyone else gives you any trouble, you can go to an associate of mine. Just talk to him. Tell him I sent you and he will either help you or contact me. Does that help or make you feel better?"  
  
She had replied, "Yes it does, thank you so much."  
  
He smiled. "Good. I am here to help. I have had problems with Buffy and friends before. Are they staying the winter holidays as well? If so, would you like to come to Sunnydale? It can be arranged."  
  
At that moment, Ginny happened to look up. "Oh no!"  
  
The door to the pub had swung open and there in the entrance was the rest of the Weasley group. Wilkins looked up as well. "Oh well, I suppose that this concludes our meal miss Weasley. Remember my advice and the offer still stands. Just talk to Lucius Malfoy. Take this message." He handed her a hand-written scroll. "He'll know it's from me. Good day to you."  
  
She smiled nervously and resolved that it would be a cold day in Hell before she asked Lucius Malfoy for anything. "Good day to you Mr. Wilkins, or should I say Your Honour. Thank you for the meal."  
  
As Mayor Wilkins stood up, Molly and Arthur Weasley stormed over to their table. They swooped down on Ginny and frogmarched her outside, yelling all the time, followed by the rest of the group.  
  
At the abandoned table, the First watched them leave with a sneer on its face. Once they had left, Tom the bartender came over to clear up and to see if there was anything else the man wanted. But when he got there, there was no sign of him and yet no one had seen him leave. 


	2. Chapter 2

That night, there was the mother of all rows in the Weasley household. Tempers frayed and things were said which probably shouldn't have been. There were two stages. The first occurred as soon as Ginny's feet touched the floor after flooing back from Diagon Alley.  
  
"Virginia Weasley, how dare you eat with a complete stranger without telling your father or me first? He might have been a Death Eater! And we had guests. How would it look to them if a member of this family can't even wait a little while for their lunch?"  
  
Any attempts by Ginny to get a word in edgewise were ignored and things went on in the same vein for nearly an hour. About then, Mrs. Weasley screamed "Young lady, you will go to your room and stay there for the rest of the day!"  
  
So Ginny went up to her room. Or tried to, because who should she meet on the stairs, but the 'Dream Team', as Draco Malfoy so scathingly referred to them. Ginny was tired and had a headache so she tried to push past them but Ron and Harry stopped her.  
  
"Not so fast, Gin." Said Ron  
  
So they frogmarched her down to the sitting room, sat her down again and went through the same old ritual. First they explained that they were just "looking out for her" and that "it was all for her own good" and other such sanctimonious phrases. About five minutes into this, Buffy and Willow arrived and began to talk to her as well. They spoke in the same patronising way. About five minutes later, Ginny exploded.  
  
"You three disgust me. You are one year older then me and you act as though that gives you the right to treat me as a complete idiot who isn't fit to do anything without constant supervision. Oh yes, I forgot. You're Harry Potter and his two stooges. We should all bow before you because you have some stupid scar on your head! Then we have our American guests." Ginny hissed. "They think that they can come into this house and ruin the lives of its occupants! Who think that they can do whatever they like because they 'saved the world a lot'. What a match made in heaven! The Boy-who- Lived and the Girl-who-Died! Why don't the pair of you just go to HELL?" Ginny's voice rose to a shriek and she stormed out of the room, up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door with a bang that echoed through the silent house. She left the group quiet in her wake, Buffy and Willow looking shocked that she knew about what had happened to Buffy at the end of her first year at Sunnydale High; Ron, Harry, and Hermione shocked because she spoke to them in such an openly disrespectful manner.  
  
In the privacy of her room, Ginny took out the scroll and looked at it, debating whether to go to Malfoy Manor then or not. She decided not to because it was only a few more days before school started and things couldn't get any worse between now and then. Could they?  
  
The next day was hellish. First she was made to wait for three entire hours so that everyone else could use the bathroom before her. Then, at breakfast, she was given toast that looked like it had been reduced to cinders. After lunch she was sent out of the house and forced to stand outside in the cold until after three o'clock. When she was allowed back inside, she went straight to her room, only to discover. that it was not her room anymore. She found her father redecorating the room while Buffy Summers sat on the bed -her bed- and unpacked her own clothes to put in what used to have been Ginny's wardrobe. Suddenly Mr. Weasley noticed her.  
  
"Ginny. Please take your stuff up to the attic so that Buffy can move hers in."  
  
"Dad, what are you doing?"  
  
"We decided that Buffy needed your room more than you do so she can have it whenever she stays. We are going to put you up in the attic."  
  
"Why can't she have the twins' room?" Ginny wanted to know. "No one else is using it."  
  
Mr. Weasley had the grace to look shame-faced. "Well Ginny. You know that Harry's aunt and uncle were arrested for treating him badly at the start of the holidays?" She nodded, confused. Of course she knew. It had been why he had come to stay so early this year and he had been so happy about it to start with. "Well your mother and I decided that we would, um, adopt him. And the papers just came through."  
  
Ginny was stunned as surely as if someone had hit her with a Stunning spell. This could not be happening. She stumbled up to the attic, collapsed on the old camp bed there and burst into tears. At length she stopped crying and stood up, her face a cold mask. She went to the boxes of her things and got out the scroll and her best robe. After putting them on, she cleaned her face and brushed her hair.  
  
Sneaking downstairs, Ginny went to the fireplace and made sure that the fire was suitable for using Floo powder. She opened the pot and took a handful, not noticing that Harry had just entered the room behind her.  
  
"Ginny, stop!" he cried. She glanced back then threw the powder into the flames shouting "Malfoy Manor!"  
  
Before Harry could stop her, she jumped into the green flames. He dashed to the fireplace and repeated her actions.  
  
For a few seconds, the room was silent. Then Harry Potter flew back out of the fire, and slammed into the opposite wall, slid to the bottom and coughed, loudly.  
  
Meanwhile, Ginny Weasley dropped out of a fireplace in an exceedingly well decorated room and stopped at the feet of an exceedingly interested Lucius Malfoy. 


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapters 1 and 2  
  
Lucius Malfoy, who had escaped from having to go to Azkaban because of a large cash infusion to the Ministry, had had a busy day. Not only had he had to attend a meeting of the Death Eaters, but he had had a visit from the First Evil and its henchman, Caleb. The First had told him that Ginny Weasley would be coming to visit him soon and that he should make any necessary preparations for her arrival. Lucius had done so, sending his wife and son out to Diagon Alley for the rest of the day and telling the Ministry that he was busy with 'family matters'. But privately he doubted that any child of Arthur and Molly Weasley would willingly enter this house. Therefore he was shocked when, as promised, Ginny Weasley dropped out of the fireplace. Then he watched the Boy-Who-Lived smash into the ancient wards that guarded the Malfoy family home from intruders. It had been very amusing and Lucius was glad that he had been there to witness the look of horror on Potter's face as he hit the shields and bounced off. Doubtless the boy would cry "Wolf" and run to Dumbledore but that was only to be expected. With such thoughts in mind he turned his attention to the Weasley girl standing before him.  
  
Ginny looked around fearfully at the room, only now realising what a dangerous situation she might have put herself in. This was the lair of the Weasley family's most hated enemies, and all of the Weasley children had been cautioned not to enter this dreadful place. But all in all, Ginny decided, it didn't look too bad. The room was decorated in the colours of Slytherin, green and silver, and was tastefully furnished. With this in mind, she focussed on the master of the house.  
  
"Well, well, well. I never expected to meet you here Miss Weasley. Can I offer you something to drink? Or a bite to eat?"  
  
Ginny shivered. This was not what she had been expecting at all. It rather appeared as if Mr. Malfoy had known she was coming. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?  
  
"No thank you, Mr. Malfoy. But thank you for offering."  
  
"Very well Miss Weasley. In that case what can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, um, I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, if you could possibly either let me stay here for the rest of the holidays or find me somewhere else to stay. Could you? Please? And I want to talk to Mayor Wilkins. It's about Buffy Summers."  
  
He looked thoughtful. "I suppose as a favour to Richard Wilkins, I could let you remain here for the rest of the holidays. We'll have to get you some new clothes though, I think. Your family are not going to be happy with you after they find out about this."  
  
Ginny's face turned to ice. "I don't give a damn about what the rest of my family thinks. They are too concerned with Scarhead and Miss Lets-Slay- Anything-On-Two-Legs to care about me. Why should I care about what they think?"  
  
Lucius Malfoy had smiled then, realising that the battle for the mind of Virginia Weasley had just been won. He had sent her and a House Elf to find a room that she liked and to help her get ready for afternoon tea. When Narcissa and Draco had returned with the school supplies, he had told them about their newest guest and what the ground rules with regard to her were. Narcissa had reacted with her usual icy imperturbability but Draco had not taken the news well. He had gone on at length about how disgraceful it was to be under the same roof as a Weasley, and had just started going on about how she always hung around with her brother, the Mudblood and Potter when a Body Bind Hex had hit him from behind and sent him to the floor. Ginny Weasley stood over his fallen form and kicked him hard in the ribs. "Never EVER compare me to ANY of those three or any other Weasley. As far as I am concerned, they are no longer my family."  
  
She then kicked him again, lower this time. Lucius had winced and Draco had looked like he wanted to curl into a ball, but, of course, he was still frozen in place. An evil grin had settled around Ginny's mouth and she had lent down, closer to Draco. Neither Lucius nor Narcissa could see what she was doing. A moment later, Ginny straightened up. When he saw what she had done, Lucius burst out laughing. Narcissa had struggled to keep a smile from her face. Lucius offered Virginia his arm, and they, together with Narcissa, went off to the dining room for tea. They left behind them a Draco Malfoy still frozen, with his eyes rolling in helpless rage. And Weasley red hair. 


	4. Chapter 4

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. All Buffy characters and fictional places belong to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon, all Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling.  
  
Later that night, Ginny lay in a room in Malfoy Manor and tried to get to sleep. She found it difficult mainly because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but also because she was wondering what had happened after she had left the Burrow. And how long it would be before Mr. Weasley (she had already stopped thinking of him as 'dad') came to demand her back. She guessed that it would be the next morning. But mainly she was uncomfortable with the silence that pervaded the large building. And she felt as if someone or something was watching her. Dismissing her fears, she rolled over and tried to get to sleep, but something else troubled her. When she had kicked Draco, it had felt good. She was not normally vindictive, but she had wanted to go on kicking him until he was a bloody mess. She had stopped because she had thought of something better but she was still troubled. "Oh well," she thought "he deserved it."  
  
In the bowels of the Manor, black robed Harbingers chanted and shouted the complex spells necessary to focus the power of the First Evil on this mortal plane. Lucius Malfoy stood and watched, as did Caleb. Finally the First appeared in the form of Lucius' father, a distinguished looking gentleman with blond hair. "Lucius, Caleb report." It snapped to them.  
  
Lucius was first. "The girl is asleep in one of our spare rooms, Great One. She attacked my son earlier; I think she is what we are looking for."  
  
Caleb spoke next. "The Bringers are ready, oh Lord. Just say the word."  
  
"Good." The First smiled. It was not a pleasant expression. "Very good."  
  
Ginny was still unable to get to sleep. Then she heard - or thought she heard - a voice. She heard the voice of her dead grandmother calling to her. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed, staring into the far corner, where the voice had originated. There stood her grandmother, exactly as she had looked in life. "Ginny!" she called again. "Grandma!" Ginny cried "Grandma!" She was almost in tears.  
  
"Ginny, things are coming. A war. You need to be on the right side. From here, I know all about what happened in the Chamber of Secrets, and I know that you want revenge on he that brought it upon you! Well, the two who forced you to suffer through that are LUCIUS MALFOY AND LORD VOLDEMORT!"  
  
Ginny gasped, spinning around to stare into every shadow, every recess, desperate to make sure that she was safe. Then it hit her, of course she wasn't safe. She was at the heart of Malfoy Manor. Suddenly she realised that the ghost was speaking again.  
  
"Lucius was one of Lord Voldemort's lingering supporters." At that Ginny started to look angry. "It was Voldemort who told them what to do if he should fall, Voldemort who made the diary," Ginny now looked furious, with her skin pale as ice, the freckles standing out in sharp relief. "And I can help you find him." Ginny looked up.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Or rather, an entity known as the First can. It can give you enough power to go and kill Voldemort. You'll be a hero, even more so than Harry Potter." This last comment, made with such maddening innocence, decided Ginny.  
  
"I'll do it!"  
  
Down below, Caleb fell to his knees and bowed his head in awe and reverence, while the Bringers circled and chanted. Lucius glanced around at the dark energies flaring all around him and shivered.  
  
In Ginny's room, her grandmother said, in a voice not her own, "SO BE IT!"  
  
It mushroomed up, out of her grandmother's shape, and dove at Ginny, dragging the shadows along with it. It flew into her, filling her up with darkness and evil and power, until her eyes went black and she smiled. The First resumed its original shape and watched as Ginny disappeared from the room.  
  
She reappeared in the cavern, where Caleb bowed to her in awe. Lucius, on the other hand, backed away in horror. "It was not my fault! I did not choose to give it to you!" He screamed at her. "Help me! Help me!" He yelled to Caleb and the Bringers. They stood still and watched the show. Seeing this, Lucius pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Ginny. "Not one more step," he warned her "I'll do it."  
  
Ginny smiled at him. "I am sure that you will." She stepped forward.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" The words rang across the cavern. A green light flared from his wand and struck Ginny Weasley. She gasped and clutched at her chest. She fell to the ground.  
  
Lucius shrugged and turned to walk away. As he did so, he heard a noise. He stopped, spun around. "What on earth?" 


	5. Chapter 5

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. All Buffy characters and fictional places belong to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon, all Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the delay.  
  
The next morning, Arthur Weasley, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley came to Malfoy Manor. They wanted Ginny back. "After all," Ron had said, "She's still a Weasley. Who knows what those Malfoys did to make her go there, or what they are doing to her now."  
  
When they reached the front door, they knocked with their hands, ignoring the door knocker in the shape of a coiling serpent. The door was answered by a House Elf who glared up at them. "Yes?" It said, aggressively. Harry was taken aback. This was nothing like his friend Dobby.  
  
Mr. Weasley coughed. "We are here for my daughter, Ginny. Tell your master that we need to talk."  
  
Ten minutes later, they were stood watching the Malfoy family finish its breakfast. That is the Malfoys and one unrepentant Weasley. Lucius was the first to speak. "Well, Arthur, can we offer you anything. I believe that there are some crusts left, after all, it should be a feast for you, yes?"  
  
"We're here for Ginny. Let her go Malfoy! Ron shouted.  
  
"Virginia is free to leave whenever she likes, just as she came here. But I don't think that she wants to leave, do you, my dear?"  
  
Harry laughed "Of course she wants to leave, don't you Ginny? That is unless you have done something to her. Like put the Imperius curse on her. Right? Ginny?"  
  
Ginny shook her head, astonishing the three who had come to get her. "I will be staying here for the rest of the holidays. Mr. Malfoy has been kind enough to allow that."  
  
Mr. Weasley stepped forward, looking angry. "Ginny, I am your father. You are coming home with us now."  
  
Lucius smirked. "She is an adult now, Arthur. You cannot force her to leave if she does not want to."  
  
Suddenly, Ron noticed Draco's hair. It was red as Ron's own. "Why, Ferret, what happened to you? It looks like someone thinks that you look better in red. Perhaps we should start calling you Draco Weasley!"  
  
Draco Malfoy snarled but did not dare to do anything in front of Lucius. Mr. Weasley backed down. "Come on, we are going. But this isn't over Malfoy. We will find out what you did to Ginny."  
  
After they had gone, Ginny and Lucius sat alone in the breakfast room. Abruptly, Lucius's form shifted into that of Mayor Wilkins. Down, in the cavern, the body of Lucius Malfoy lay still, his face pulled into a look of stark terror. 


	6. Chapter 6

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. All Buffy characters and fictional places belong to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon, all Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling.  
  
On September 1st, Ginny, Narcissa and Draco all went to the station together so that the two Hogwarts students could catch the Hogwarts Express. Draco had still not forgiven Ginny for turning his hair red and it was an uncomfortable three that eventually stepped onto Platform 9 and ¾. As Draco got onto the train, Ginny asked Narcissa a question that had been preying on her mind since she had visited Malfoy Manor. "Why didn't the Ministry detect my use of magic? Potter did it once and they got him within minutes, why not me?"  
  
Narcissa smiled. "There are shields up around the Manor that stop the Ministry sensing what goes on inside. It drives them mad, it really does."  
  
After bidding Narcissa farewell and grabbing her luggage, Ginny went to find herself a compartment. Her family had sent on her books with Ron but, while at Malfoy Manor, Ginny had acquired a collection of Dark Arts books and a small volume about the First. Since that night when it had possessed her, Ginny had been desperate to find out more. In particular, how she could get enough power to kill Voldemort. The terror inspired by him had paled in comparison with the power she had felt the First lend her. Far more terrifying was what she had done to Lucius Malfoy. Ginny smiled at the thought. She was now the servant of the First Evil, sworn to aid it to the best of her abilities. She had more power than Ron, Hermione or Harry but not any of the teachers on her own. She would have to be careful.  
  
Back beneath Malfoy Manor, Caleb bowed to his Lord. "Well, Lord. She has gone. I sure hope that she is what you are looking for. After all, women are weak, impure. Unworthy."  
  
The First, robed in the flesh of some dead boy, looked thoughtful. "Perhaps, but she has potential. She has the potential to be a great asset to our cause. That is why I chose her."  
  
Caleb nodded. "Certainly it was educational watching her do Lucius there. And I thought I knew something about how to make someone scream. Those ones he let out, they were something to hear."  
  
On the Hogwarts Express, Buffy, Willow, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in a compartment and discussed Ginny.  
  
"And you think that Malfoy had something to do with this?" Willow asked.  
  
"Of course," Ron said, "It's exactly the sort of thing that he would do."  
  
Buffy and Willow shared glances. "I don't know how to break to you guys but she was pretty nasty to us from day one. And when I saw her on the platform she gave me the wiggins." Buffy remarked looking at Ron.  
  
Ron looked furious. So did Harry. But Hermione retained her sense of perspective. "Why? What made you worried? After all, as you're the Slayer, there can't be much that scares you can there?"  
  
Buffy shivered. "I don't know. At first she looked just like normal, except a much more expensive wardrobe. But then I saw her eyes. They were... like gates on hell. Completely black. But then I looked again and they were back to normal."  
  
"Freaky." Willow agreed. "We ought to call Giles and let him know."  
  
At that Hermione broke down into giggles. "What?" Buffy asked sharply.  
  
"Don't you know? A Mr. Giles is the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher for the upper year. That means us."  
  
"What about the lower years?" Willow inquired, "Who do they have?"  
  
"Well, the first five years have Professor Lupin. He's a good teacher, even if he is a werewolf. Ginny's year have someone called..." At this point Hermione consulted a piece of paper "Rayne, Ethan Rayne."  
  
Willow and Buffy groaned in unison. "Not him AGAIN," Buffy moaned, "Every time he turns up, chaos ensues. Why ME?"  
  
At that point, conversation ceased, as they had to go and get ready to get off the train. None of them was expecting what would happen next.  
  
Author's Note: Apologies for the long wait, as a reward, here are the next two chapters, and the next is on its way. It might be a while as I am quite busy. 


	7. Chapter 7

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. All Buffy characters and fictional places belong to Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon, all Harry Potter characters belong to J K Rowling.  
  
As Buffy, Harry and their friends entered the Great Hall, conversation died away as everyone turned to look at them. Their conversation died too as first Harry, then Hermione and finally the rest of the group realised that the figure occupying the Headmaster's chair was not Dumbledore, nor was it McGonagall. It was Snape. "Thank you for granting us the benefit of your presence Potter. It appears that Gryffindor will be starting the term on negative points. Let us say, 10 each which would be 50 total?"  
  
Most of the rest of the teaching staff looked unhappy, except Ethan Rayne who sat there looking the same as ever. He gave them a little mocking wave.  
  
At that point Draco Malfoy walked in, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, and Snape did not even bat an eyelid. "Let us now proceed to the Sorting." At this point, the Hat looked like it was about to sing. It must have noticed the look Snape gave it because it obviously thought better of it.  
  
As McGonagall started to call the first name, a hand went up from near Harry and company. "Professor Snape, I would like to be resorted please." The teachers looked shocked, as did the rest of the hall, with the sole exception of Draco Malfoy. He merely looked faintly terrified. The hand, needless to say, belonged to Virginia Weasley.  
  
Since she had left the train, she had been planning this regardless of who was in charge of the Sorting, but the fact that it was Snape made it easier. To spend this year in Gryffindor under her brother's eye would make studying the Dark Arts even harder than it would be anywhere. Slytherin was another story.  
  
Snape recovered first. He called her up to the front of the room and placed the Sorting Hat on her head himself. The Hall waited with baited breath for the result. Ron looked assured of the outcome, while Harry and Hermione exchanged worried glances behind his back.  
  
Suddenly, the Hat began to mumble to itself almost audibly. The words "Weasley", "Gryffindor", "Slytherin", and "shadows" could be heard by those in the closer seats who leaned forward far enough. Then the Hat slumped, as if in defeat, and croaked "Slytherin." Ron looked as if he had been hit by Avada Kedavra, although Harry noticed that Malfoy did as well. Ron jumped up and demanded a Resorting for himself. Snape lazily refused and removed another ten points, at which the whole of the Slytherin table, now including Ginny, laughed. Ron went bright red and lunged towards the Slytherin table, but six burly Slytherins jumped up and stood between him and his sister. He stopped, glared at Virginia and spun on his heel. Or at least he tried, as part of his robe got caught on something and he spun three hundred and sixty degrees and fell flat on his face. Everyone, except the Gryffindor table, laughed and Snape looked as if Christmas had come early. "That will be ten points from Gryffindor for disturbing the feast, Weasley, and another ten points for implying that Slytherin is not good enough for your family. Now sit down." Ron did so, although his face was still red.  
  
After the new pupils had been Sorted, Snape announced that Dumbledore was still on holiday, and that, until he returned, he was acting as Headmaster as well as head of Slytherin. At this point, the Slytherins cheered and everyone else looked grim.  
  
"As to the post of Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Dumbledore saw fit to appoint two teachers, one for the top two years and one for the lower school. I, however, decided, with the Ministry's approval, to appoint a third teacher, who will teach the sixth years. Allow me to introduce Professor Ethan Rayne, Professor Rupert Giles and Remus Lupin."  
  
After the Feast was over, and while everyone was leaving for their dormitories, a student staggered into the Great Hall. "Come quickly, she's killed him!" When Professors Snape and Flitwick reached the corridor in question, they found the body of Gregory Goyle lying in the corridor, with Virginia Weasley standing over it, wand in hand.  
  
"Miss Weasley, what have you done?" Flitwick gasped. She said nothing, merely stood there and allowed them to lead her away.  
  
That night, rumours were rife in Gryffindor Tower. It was said that Virginia had killed Goyle or that Malfoy had done it and set her up. The more extreme theories included Imperius by various people, Polyjuice potions or invisibility cloaks. Needless to say, the Dream Team all thought it was Malfoy. "Of course it was him!" Ron said "He's a stinking Death Eater, I mean just look at his dad." The exception was Buffy, who wasn't sure. She had no doubt that Malfoy could kill someone but that look on his face during the Sorting Ceremony still haunted her. As did Ginny's eyes. They flashed black again in Buffy's memory, sucking all light into them. No- one should have eyes like that, no-one. She shivered. Nothing human, at least.  
  
The next morning, the Weasleys were gathered in the Headmaster's study with Professor Snape. Virginia was still under guard elsewhere in Hogwarts without her wand. The basic topic of the discussion had been what was going to happen. The bulk of family opinion was that she had not done it and Snape agreed, but there would have to be a trial. It was the law. Arthur Weasley sighed. "I suppose we will have to pay for a lawyer then. Good lawyers do not come cheap these days, I am afraid."  
  
Snape smiled humourlessly. "No need to worry about that. Your daughter's lawyer arrived earlier this morning courtesy of Lucius Malfoy."  
  
A figure stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a Muggle suit. He offered his left hand to Arthur; his right was a prosthetic replacement. "Lindsey McDonald. I am an attorney at Wolfram and Hart." 


	8. Chapter 8

Darkness Falling  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or places portrayed herein.  
  
Ginny sat in her prison in Hogwarts, and wondered what was going to happen to her. When the First had recruited her, life had seemed so simple. She was going to kill Voldemort; then everyone who had ever mocked her. So far, she had only killed Lucius. That had been fun but he had not been expecting it. She did not have enough power to get herself out of here, so she was going to wait. So she waited. And she waited. And waited. No one came. Not even the Dementors, who were supposed to be guarding her, were in evidence. Ginny was not to know that, as she was a servant of the First, the Dementors had been warned by the First to stay away from her. It did not want insane servants.  
  
Suddenly there was movement beyond her door. She looked up to see her parents and the Muggle lawyer, followed by Ron and Percy. He had already been to see her once this morning, to check that she was happy with him acting on her behalf and so on. She was. So why was he returning so soon?  
  
"Ms Weasley, your family are unhappy with me being your lawyer. It seems to have something to do with Lucius Malfoy requesting the services of my firm. I told them that it was your choice and they seemed certain that you would prefer a different lawyer. Is that so?"  
  
"No" The Weasley family gasped. Arthur stepped forward.  
  
"But Ginny we can afford a lawyer ourselves. Are you sure that you want to do this? Remember what happened in your first year."  
  
"No! Mr. McDonald will be my lawyer. It is my decision." Ginny turned away, faced the opposite wall. Lindsey McDonald shrugged and left, followed by Professor Snape – Ginny hadn't even noticed he was there – and most of her family. Ron lingered for a moment, and then he too departed for Gryffindor Tower. Ginny was left to her solitude.  
  
Later, Ron was to be found in the common room, recounting it to Harry, Hermione, Buffy and Willow. "And Mum and Dad are still unhappy about it. Neither of them can understand why Ginny doesn't want a lawyer chosen by them. Neither of them has heard of Wolfram and Hart either."  
  
Buffy started. "Wolfram and Hart? Are you sure? What was the lawyer's name?" She glanced around the room as if unseen eyes were watching their every move.  
  
Ron shrugged. "Something like McDonald. Lindsey, maybe? Bloody stupid name if you ask me." Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. "What?"  
  
Buffy and Willow had their heads together and were whispering furiously. Eventually, Willow turned to them and reluctantly said "Buffy has a friend in Los Angeles. He has run across Wolfram and Hart before. He said that they are a demon law firm." Willow glanced back at Buffy and continued, "He also said that he had come across Lindsey McDonald before. Ron, he is seriously bad news, you shouldn't let him near Ginny."  
  
Needless to say, Harry and Hermione had to grab Ron to stop him from marching off immediately to throttle the lawyer. When they had persuaded him to sit still – aided by the Leglocker curse – Buffy told them what she knew about W&H. She told them what Angel had told her when she had visited him in L.A. as well as what she had gathered from her friends. None of it was good. Especially when she got to talking about some of their 'Special Projects' and the mysterious Senior Partners. Ron froze with fear at the mention of Darla, who had been mentioned in some of the DADA books. "In short", Buffy concluded, "it sounds perfect for the Malfoys, but why an American firm? Why not an English firm? And why is he paying for your sister to have a lawyer? W&H aren't cheap from all accounts."  
  
None of them had any answers.  
  
Far away, beneath Malfoy Manor, Caleb and the First watched as the Harbingers took the omens. The First laughed triumphantly as it read the meaning. "The conjunction comes nearer! And so does the dawn of a new age!"  
  
The next morning, Ginny had more visitors. This time though, she was in a more receptive mood, due to the presence of the two Dementors outside her cell. This was thanks to Professor Snape, who had suggested that experience of what Azkaban would be like might "force Miss Weasley reconsider her current position." This morning's crop of visitors included the Golden Trio and their two American friends.  
  
By general consensus, Hermione spoke first. She told Ginny that Professor Snape had made a deal with the Ministry of Magic: that if she returned to Gryffindor, with certain restrictions placed on her movements and activities, such as being accompanied on Hogsmeade visits, the case against her would be dropped through lack of evidence. She would be given her old room back, as Buffy and Willow would stay in the attic of the Burrow. At this point, Ron looked as if he was about to say something, but Harry quickly put his hand over Ron's mouth. Ginny looked tempted. A second night atop the windy tower with only the terrifying Dementors for company had worn down her resistance, and she yearned for the days before the arrival of the two Muggles when they were like a family. The First, lurking in the corners of the tower, where no-one could see it, watched in suspense. It did not dare intervene – she had to come of her own will... Ginny opened her mouth, about to accept... And then Ron put his foot in it. Again.  
  
"You know Gin-Gin, if you had been more like Buffy or Harry, this never would have... aargh!" Harry had elbowed Ron in the ribs and Hermione had stepped on his foot, but the damage had been done.  
  
Afterwards, Ginny could never remember which had annoyed her more, the childish nickname, or Ron's thoughtless words. The fact that Buffy had visibly puffed up had not helped. Ginny laughed. It was not the laugh of a schoolgirl, happy and cheerful. This was a cold, hard, humourless laugh that swept through the soul like an icy wind. Her eyes hardened and she drew herself up to her full height, which was not as much as she would have liked but never mind. It had the requisite effect, the do-gooders backed off.  
  
"I do not want or need your help. Go back to your pathetic tower and find someone who actually wants your help."  
  
In its shadow, the First smiled with relief and vanished. The reluctant emissaries departed down the tower, arguing amongst themselves. "You heard her Ron, she doesn't want our help. We should let her rot up there. She reminds me of that slut Faith more and more each time."  
  
"She does want our help; she just doesn't know how to ask for it. Anyway, who's Faith?"  
  
"Long story. Actually, Will, she reminds me less of Faith than of..." Buffy lent in to whisper into Willow's ear. Willow stopped and stared at her.  
  
"No way. No human could be that bad."  
  
"Who are you talking about?!" Ron yelled.  
  
Buffy whispered a name, so quietly that the Trio had to lean right in to hear it, and then nearly fell off the narrow steps trying to get away.  
  
"Angelus"  
  
Author's note: Thanks to those who have reviewed, it certainly does wonders for my morale to get good reviews. Here's an extra long chapter as a reward. Many thanks to both Isawien Malfoy and Jamie Potter for checking this and previous chapters through. 


	9. Chapter 9

Darkness Falling

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or places portrayed herein.

The day of the trial had arrived. Ginny was fetched from her cell by two Dementors and four Aurors and taken to the Ministry of Magic. She was frogmarched into a large room and made to sit in a chair equipped with magical restraints. Not that they really held her. She faced what she supposed to be a full session of the Wizengamot, with her 'family' also present. Snape was standing in for Dumbledore and, unknown to all except her, the shadowy form of the First Evil lurked in the back.

Afterwards, Ginny remembered little of the trial. She pleaded not guilty, and then switched off mentally. She remembered that several people were called as character witnesses, and that there were no actual witnesses. What really made the outcome inevitable was the result of the examination of her wand, and the wand found by Goyle's body. Mr. Ollivander came in to check them.

"One of these wands was used to cast Avada Kedavra at about the time of death. It was the wand found by the body of the deceased. The signature of the magic is not one I know, nor did I sell this wand. It may be a back up wand. Certainly, from my tests, Miss Weasley would not have had enough power to Avada Kedavra Mr. Goyle with this wand; she is not attuned enough to it."

The court exchanged significant looks at this. The prosecution lawyers argued that this did not mean that she had not killed him, but it was a lost cause. No one seemed to want to believe that a girl her age, or Arthur Weasley's daughter could kill someone in cold blood. Her experience in the Chamber of Secrets just made the court even more sympathetic to Ginny, their emotions played like fiddles by Lindsey McDonald. Snape watched frowning, but he was the only one. Everyone else wiped away tears as the Wolfram & Hart lawyer spoke in an anguished voice about her terrible suffering at the hands of Tom Riddle. As he summed up, he said:

"Ginevra Weasley is a remarkable young woman. She has overcome the trauma faced in her first year, and has faced this court with dignity befitting a person many years her senior. To convict her on evidence, that is at best hearsay, and despite the testimony of Mr. Ollivander would be a gross miscarriage of justice. My client and I know that you, the esteemed members of this court, will not let that happen. The fate of this young woman is in your hands. Do not fail her in her hour of need."

Ginevra Weasley was acquitted of the murder of Gregory Goyle and allowed to resume her studies at Hogwarts with no punishment whatsoever. Draco Malfoy was livid when he found out.

She returned to find that she had been allocated a room in the Slytherin dungeons in her absence and was in fact regarded as something of a heroine by the younger girls of her new house. She established a shrine to the First in her room, to mask her use of Dark magic, and studied the art of Necromancy in her free time. The Trio did not bother her so much now, as they now had almost no contact with her. Dumbledore returned soon after her trial, looking none the worse for wear, and confirmed her resorting despite everything Potter, the Mudblood and her twit brother said. He even seemed faintly amused at the notion that she was practising the Dark Arts secretly, saying that no one could do so on Hogwarts grounds without him knowing about it.

The next major event happened three days later, when the moon was dark.

All was silent in the corridors of Hogwarts. No students scurried through the halls. No Professors strode through the castle. Only the ghosts traversed them, as they would continue to do for all eternity. Up, up, up, in the Gryffindor tower, in the sixth year boys' dormitory, behind the curtains that surrounded his bed, the Boy Who Lived (unfortunately) tossed and turned as he dreamt of things that, all things considered, he would rather he wasn't.

In his mind's eye, he saw a barren moor, with a black robed figure standing on an elaborate design drawn in what appeared to be white sand. As Potter watched, red light blasted up from beneath the figure, which stretched its arms out towards the heavens. Outlined in the hellish light, the figure cried out in an ancient tongue, of which Potter caught almost nothing. It sounded like an incantation though, due to the repetition of two words. He couldn't quite remember them though, as the words sounded like nothing he had ever heard before.

The red light intensified and Potter's scar began to twinge. Clouds overhead swirled closer, cutting off all view of the stars, and then began to reach down to the symbol on the ground. Suddenly, he noticed the presence of others around the edges of the light. They circled it, pacing round the perimeter of the symbol. The winds picked up, blowing hoods down. That of the central figure fell, revealing it to be Voldemort. His eyes gleamed strongly in the evil light and he appeared to be exulting in the power he had summoned. Above him, the clouds convulsed and tore apart, revealing a rip in the sky itself.

At that, Harry Potter fell out of the dream, as something vast and evil turned its attention to the rift. The malevolent evil pulsed from the rift, something malignant looking back at him. Vaguely he heard someone screaming for help. It took him a minute to realise that it was him. Then he woke completely and totally. He was not the only one. Albus Dumbledore sat bolt upright in his bed, and Severus Snape clutched at his burning arm as he writhed on the floor. The general impressions they all gained were of triumphant laughter, high pitched and cruel. The laughter of Lord Voldemort echoing victoriously in their minds. The end was beginning.


End file.
